Single-step heterogeneous catalysis production of highly monodisperse spherical nanocrystalline cellulose

Highly monodisperse spherical nanocrystalline cellulose (SNCC) was prepared via a rapid single-step heterogeneous hydrolysis technique. The production process was observed to follow first-order kinetics with the reaction rate constant of 42.88 × 10^-2 min^-1 and the reaction rate of 10.08 × 10^-5 mol·L^-1·min^-1. An inverse correlation was noticed, in the reaction medium, between hydronium ion concentration and MCC concentration. Microscopic analysis showed highly monodisperse nanospheres with an average diameter of 36 nm. The TGA thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD), revealed significant improvement in crystallinity and crystal size. Increased resistance to thermal degradation was observed for SNCC compared to MCC, producing a final residue three times higher, with a maximum decomposition temperature of 391 °C. As a result, the heterogeneous acid-catalyzed method demonstrated an eco-friendly, effective, and rapid approach for producing nanocellulosic materials with improved crystallinity, morphological and thermal properties.